War time editions of N.Y. Central Railroad Headlight are a goldmine and this edition includes mentions of soldiers in these units:

CH July 1945

• MRS India
• 758^th RSB Burma
• MRS Crane

Thanks Dave

James Louis Watters April 6, 1923 - January 13, 2009 James Louis ""Jim"" Watters, 85, of Wilmington, died peacefully at Liberty Commons Nursing Center on January 13, 2009.

He was born on April 6, 1923, in Wilmington, NC, the son of James Louis Watters Sr. and Mae Singletary Watters. He grew up at Carolina Beach / Kure Beach and developed a love of the outdoors at an early age along with his brothers and the rest of the KBRARs Kure Beach Raggedy Ass Rangers. He had a specific passion for fishing that he shared with his beloved wife Ann. They loved to go surf fishing on local beaches and would often go fishing at their favorite spot on Core Banks near Atlantic, NC. Growing up near Fort Fisher, he also developed a passion for Civil War history.
He took this passion and explored the areas around Fort Fisher and many of the sunken blockade runners with his brothers as willing accomplices. Jim a.k.a. ""Son"" retired from the US Army with the rank of Captain. His military career started at the age of 15 when he lied about his age and joined the NC National Guard I Company, 120th Infantry. He was, of course, found out and his tenure with the Guard came to a quick end. He started his military career in earnest when he was drafted by the US Army during WW II and sent to the China Burma India theatre of operations where he served with the 758th Railway Shop Battalion. After WWII he went to OCS, received his commission and served in Germany with the 2nd Armored Division. After active duty, he completed his service with the Army Reserve in Wilmington. In civilian life, he was a highly skilled welder, machinist and mechanic. He took these skills and became a dedicated vocational instructor with New Hanover County Schools and Cape Fear Technical Institute. Read on https://www.andrewsmortuary.com/obituary/5133504

Thanks to Paul for sharing this slide show that he created for the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) as part of their continuing education program.
He is concentrating on the contributions of the Southern Pacific Lines and the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway contributions, those units are the: 705th & 710th RGDs, the 713th & 716th ROBs and the 754th & 758th RSBs.
Email me if you'd like to share anything with Paul:  militaryrailwayservice@gmail.com

MRS in WWII slide show by Nancy on Scribd

Burma by Nancy

** Locomotive Engineers Journal September 1945

The biggest and most important job they tackled was running most of the Bengal & Assam Railway in northeast India, operating generally from Parbat-ipur northeast. The meter-gauge line east from Parbatipur was mainly single-track, powered by an assortment of locomotives made in Germany, England, Belgium, France and Czechoslovakia.

The Indian method of operation was often protracted. There were schedules, of course; but the Indians observed them in the manner of a timeless land. If a train arrived hours late, and the schedule called for a 15-minute stop, the Indians observed it, even though loading and unloading took only two minutes.

The war supplies over the railroad under Indian operation totaled only 15,000 long tons in May 1943. In June the Bengal & Assam didn't move enough tonnage to fill the planes flying the Hump to China.

Maj. Gen. W. E. R. Covell, chief of CBI Services of Supply, gave orders Christmas Day 1943 establishing the Military Railway Service, with headquarters at Gauhati, Assam, halfway between Parbatipur and Tinsukia. It was to operate 752 miles of meter-gauge track, headed by Headquarters, Military Railway Service, and Headquarters, 705th Railway Grand Division. Operating under this authority would be five railway battalions, the 721st, 725th, 726th, 745th and 748th, and one shop battalion, the 758th.

This grand division of about 4,600 officers and men arrived at Gauhati in late-January 1944 and set up offices and quarters in a weaving school. It assumed operation March 1, and by that time, CBI Theater had reached agreement with India to operate 804 miles of track.

758thkaufaman by Nancy